TriStar Pictures via Everett Collection
The 1998 version of Godzilla had so much promise before dollars, indecision and lack of respect ruined it. It could have been a monstrous smash at the box office, one that Hollywood would remember and perhaps build a franchise around. The unstoppable repitlian star of countless Japanese movies would finally get a terrific American treatment. But we all know what happened instead.
TriStar Pictures acquired the rights to the monster in the early 1990s, immediately attaching serious talent to develop the film. Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio, the writing team behind Aladdin and, later, Shrek and Pirates of the Caribbean, penned a strong script in which Godzilla was a misunderstood beast who would later save humanity by defeating a threatening monster called the Gryphon. You can read the script here.
This version would have pleased hardcore Godzilla fans and average moviegoers alike. In fact, TriStar wanted Godzilla's most famous villain, Ghidrah, to battle Big G in this film. Toho, the Japanese company which held the rights to Godzilla and all of the monsters in that universe, wanted more money for the use of Ghidrah. Here is Ghidrah in action throughout the years:
The issue of money is why the film went south. Jan de Bont, director of Speed and later Twister, was attached to direct Godzilla. But the budget swelled up too much (around $130 million, a lot for the 1990s but not that much today) and the film veered off in a totally different direction.
Independence Day Invades Godzilla
With the budget an issue, the creators of Independence Day came in and promised that they could deliver a movie way under that proposed dollar figure. Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich ditched the original script and basically did what they wanted. But they didn’t respect the mythology of Godzilla and rushed a script out in the same way a kindergartener colors a random worksheet.
"Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich, I'd argue, screwed it up," Rossio wrote on wordplayer.com. "Godzilla became a mom who wanted to go lay eggs in New York City. And when military guys fired guns at him, Godzilla would… I can't believe it even as I type it... Godzilla would actually squeal, turn, run and hide."
Devlin and Emmerich had tremendous success with ID4, but Rossio's observation about Godzilla was 100 percent right. Godzilla fans and critics wouldn't approve of this version.
The Fallout
The 1998 Godzilla was so unacceptable that fans gave him this nickname: G.I.N.O. (Godzilla In Name Only). Godzilla had always been played by a guy in a rubber suit; now with all the American special effects and hype, it somehow became a subpar product. Kenpachiro Satsuma, a veteran Godzilla actor, walked out of the Japanese premiere and said, "It's not Godzilla. It doesn't have his spirit." Maybe Matthew Broderick was the wrong choice to star in the movie. What about the rest of the cast? A bunch of voice actors from The Simpsons and other no names? Only Jean Reno (The Professional) seemed to fit the bill, but even he could have been tougher.
In the end, Godzilla still had a budget of $130 million. The worldwide box office took more than $379 million, which was good, but not franchise good. Not sequel good. Godzilla was no longer a larger-than-life monster in the '98 version. His death by 12 high-powered missiles would have never killed a normal Godzilla. Missiles like that would have simply annoyed the monster. The potential of the version featuring the Elliot-Rossio script with de Bont at the helm could have meant there would be no need for the Gareth Edwards incarnation. Perhaps a franchise would have been possible in the same way we have Marvel Comics, Fast &amp; The Furious and James Bond movies. For your viewing pleasure, here is the death of 1998's Godzilla. May we never see such disrespect for source material again.
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British rocker George Craig is causing a stir on the London culinary scene after launching his first restaurant. The One Night Only rocker has been hosting a pop-up eaterie called Check On with his chef pal Terry Edwards since last year (13), and they have now landed a permanent spot called The Pearl, which is part of The Dolls House venue in London's trendy Shoreditch.
Craig, who dated actress Emma Watson after meeting her on a Burberry modelling campaign, admits his new career as a restaurateur has bemused his fashionable friends, especially the design house's boss Christopher Bailey.
He tells London's Evening Standard, "Bailey is amazing. He champions young British talent. Although when I told him I'd moved into food he was surprised.
"When I was 17 I worked on my first campaign modelling for Burberry. Mario Testino was the photographer. I was this naive kid and didn't know who he was."
Craig is now dating British pop star Diana Vickers.

Lions Gate via Everett Collection
When we last left our heroes, they had conquered all opponents in the 74th Annual Hunger Games, returned home to their newly refurbished living quarters in District 12, and fallen haplessly to the cannibalism of PTSD. And now we're back! Hitching our wagons once again to laconic Katniss Everdeen and her sweet-natured, just-for-the-camera boyfriend Peeta Mellark as they gear up for a second go at the Capitol's killing fields.
But hold your horses — there's a good hour and a half before we step back into the arena. However, the time spent with Katniss and Peeta before the announcement that they'll be competing again for the ceremonial Quarter Quell does not drag. In fact, it's got some of the film franchise's most interesting commentary about celebrity, reality television, and the media so far, well outweighing the merit of The Hunger Games' satire on the subject matter by having Katniss struggle with her responsibilities as Panem's idol. Does she abide by the command of status quo, delighting in the public's applause for her and keeping them complacently saturated with her smiles and curtsies? Or does Katniss hold three fingers high in opposition to the machine into which she has been thrown? It's a quarrel that the real Jennifer Lawrence would handle with a castigation of the media and a joke about sandwiches, or something... but her stakes are, admittedly, much lower. Harvey Weinstein isn't threatening to kill her secret boyfriend.
Through this chapter, Katniss also grapples with a more personal warfare: her devotion to Gale (despite her inability to commit to the idea of love) and her family, her complicated, moralistic affection for Peeta, her remorse over losing Rue, and her agonizing desire to flee the eye of the public and the Capitol. Oftentimes, Katniss' depression and guilty conscience transcends the bounds of sappy. Her soap opera scenes with a soot-covered Gale really push the limits, saved if only by the undeniable grace and charisma of star Lawrence at every step along the way of this film. So it's sappy, but never too sappy.
In fact, Catching Fire is a masterpiece of pushing limits as far as they'll extend before the point of diminishing returns. Director Francis Lawrence maintains an ambiance that lends to emotional investment but never imposes too much realism as to drip into territories of grit. All of Catching Fire lives in a dreamlike state, a stark contrast to Hunger Games' guttural, grimacing quality that robbed it of the life force Suzanne Collins pumped into her first novel.
Once we get to the thunderdome, our engines are effectively revved for the "fun part." Katniss, Peeta, and their array of allies and enemies traverse a nightmare course that seems perfectly suited for a videogame spin-off. At this point, we've spent just enough time with the secondary characters to grow a bit fond of them — deliberately obnoxious Finnick, jarringly provocative Johanna, offbeat geeks Beedee and Wiress — but not quite enough to dissolve the mystery surrounding any of them or their true intentions (which become more and more enigmatic as the film progresses). We only need adhere to Katniss and Peeta once tossed in the pit of doom that is the 75th Hunger Games arena, but finding real characters in the other tributes makes for a far more fun round of extreme manhunt.
But Catching Fire doesn't vie for anything particularly grand. It entertains and engages, having fun with and anchoring weight to its characters and circumstances, but stays within the expected confines of what a Hunger Games movie can be. It's a good one, but without shooting for succinctly interesting or surprising work with Katniss and her relationships or taking a stab at anything but the obvious in terms of sending up the militant tyrannical autocracy, it never even closes in on the possibility of being a great one.
3.5/5
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The scene opens on a backyard in the hills of Orange County. It is a gorgeous mansion entirely made of stone which looks out on the ocean, rolling its waves in little whispers of white far below, deep down a cliff. The sun is setting at that exact angle when it is in everyone's eyes, and they all hold their hands over their faces to create a little patch of shade right where the eyes should be. Focus on Jim Edwards, who is walking across the lawn holding flowers in one hand and wine in the other. He walks up and greets his friend Heather Dubrow. "I brought wine for you, and flowers for Terry," he says. They both laugh, and he hands Terry the flowers. They get another round of laughs.
"Thanks so much for coming," Heather says. "I'm going to go put these in something. Terry, will you go check on the food? Sorry, I'm dealing with my 'friends' and it's making me a little hectic. Sarah and Paul are over there though, if you want to talk to them."
Jim walks across the lawn and joins Paul and Sarah. "Hey guys. What's going on?"
"Hey!" they both shout, and there are hugs all around. "Can you believe this party?" Sarah asks.
"I know," Jim says. "I'm going to need more drinks."
"Paul?" Sarah says making a gesture with her empty glass toward the bar. He walks off.
"What are we even doing here anyway? What is this party for?" Jim asks.
"I don't know. She said it was an "end of summer party" or a clam bake or something. I think it's because she just started filming. All of the Housewives are here."
"Oh, I noticed. I think it was something to do with the number of limos parked in front of the house and, you know, the camera crews. God, I don't want to be at a Housewives party. Why did she invite us, her real friends, to a Housewives party? Isn't that like me asking you to come sit in my office and watch me work?"
"Yeah, I guess. But she needs us here. How lame would her party look if it was just these women sitting around screaming about who said what about someone else's boyfriend and then one of them storms off and another one follows? This little dinner party could go on for episodes. Actually, this is going to be fun to watch. I mean, look at that one over there."
"Is that Vicki?"
"I guess. It looks like someone put a bloated potato on a woman's body."
"And what is wrong with her hair? It look like she combed it with a broken twig. Is she trying to cover up surgery scars or something?"
"Probably, but that doesn't explain why it looks so awful."
"What are you two talking about?" Paul asks as he walks back up to them and hands off the flutes of champagne. He turns to face the woman that they're all staring at. "You're making fun of Frankenface over there, aren't you? Guys, come on. Let's not be like this. I don't want to be those people, the people that come to this Housewives party and join in on the dog pile."
"Oh, look at Tamra and Gretchen," Jim says.
"They're talking shit about Vicki right after they walked away from her. Don't they realize she's right there?!" Sarah says, pointing frantically.
"Don't you two realize they're all right there? You're just as bad as them. Stop. Seriously," Paul says.
They all stand there silently for a second, looking at the grass which somehow is still a bit dewey, even at dusk.
"Everyone, let's move to the table!" Heather shouts, and the two dozen people crowd around the table and Heather tells everyone where to sit. All of the Housewives are clustered around her, and Jim and Sarah are positioned right next to them. Paul is at the far end of the table.
"Sarah, you know I love your husband, but thank God he's down there with the other no-name guests, because that was getting really hard."
"What? Pretending we don't care about these bitches? I know. What are they talking about?"
"I'm not sure, Heather is crunching on lobster legs and talking about the meat coming in her mouth. Did she really just say that? Does she know that she's on TV?"
"I'm always amazed at how Heather is when we hang out and go to Pilates and who she is on this damn show. It's like she's an actress. Well, I know she was an actress, but it's like she's playing some role. Like have you seen her canned exasperation with Terry? That can't be real, can it?"
"I hope not. They're always so happy. I mean look at this house, look at the kids, look at everything. What else do they need?"
"To get off of this damn show."
"Shhh. Gretchen just told Vicki that the two of them just changed roles, because everyone is talking about Vicki and Brooks like they used to talk about Gretchen and Slade."
"She is so right. Gretchen can't be happy about this talk. Are they still in a fight?"
"Yes. Oh, wait, now they're talking. Why are they speaking so quietly?"
"It must be serious. Oh shit, where is Tamra going? Oh, and now Heather is following her. Should I love this? I thought I would love this, but I kind of hate it."
"I sort of just want to eat some clams and talk about Mad Men."
"Did you like the premiere?"
"Eh, I thought it was a little bit heavy handed and none of the characters really made any forward.....OH! They're back."
"Is there going to be drama? I hope there's a table flip or a wine throw or something really Housewives-y."
"That would really ruin my dinner, but it would also be awesome. I don't think there will be. Heather is really good at diffusing these situations. She told me, 'No one has to be empirically right or wrong in these fights.' And that's so true. If these women could just forget about right and wrong and just find the goodness in each other, their lives would be so much better."
"Oh, where is that Alexis woman? She is the worst."
"The worst. You know she and Heather hate each other, so I'm not surprised that she's not here, but I'm also a little surprised since, clearly, the production is paying for this whole damn Song and Pony Dance."
"Do you mean Song and Dance or Dog and Pony Show?"
"I mean Song and Pony Dance. It's something I heard Gretchen say a minute ago."
"That's amazing. We're using that. But, seriously, where is Alexis?"
"I don't think she's coming, but I saw her on Fox 5 the other day."
"Is still doing those awful segments?"
"No, she says she quit that."
"What?"
"Yes, apparently her once a week five-minute segment on Fox 5 and her dress line that isn't even in stores is keeping her from her family or something, so she 'quit' so she could focus more on them."
"So, what was she doing on Fox 5?
"They were doing a story about her and her husband's new trampoline park in Anaheim. She was completely idiotic. She was trying to show exercise routines on the trampoline and kept deferring to her husband. I just wanted to reach through the screen and punch her in her weave."
"Her new short haircut is kinda cute. And can I tell you something?"
"What?"
"I want to go to that trampoline park."
"Me too! Don't tell Paul. Maybe I can convince one of the kids to ask to have their birthday party there so it won't look like my idea. Maybe I'll run into her there. "
"Oh, but she's the worst."
"The worst."
Heather got up from the table, the over-sized Mad Hatter chair dwarfing her slight frame. "Everyone, let's go to the rec room for drinks and dessert."
They all shuffle into the granite palace, and Paul catches up to Sarah and Jim. "I saw you two. The whole time during dinner. All you did was talk about the stupid Housewives."
"What are we supposed to do?" Sarah asks. "Ignore them? They were making such a racket."
"You two are horrible," Paul says as they descended the stairs into the rec room. "Wait, what did they do to the rec room? Where did they get all of those gold records and that guitar? Is that a beige pool table? Oh my god a popcorn machine? I remember when this was just a granite slab with a junky ping pong table and we made Heather and Terry play beer pong on it using wine in solo cups. Remember that, honey? Man, look at it now, this is...this is...awesome. Oh god, honey, we need to get you on this show. Can I get a room like this? Why don't you go over there and punch one of them in the FUPA? That will get you cast."
"Oh, look at who wants to be a Housewife all of the sudden," Sarah says.
"Guys, Tamra just dragged Vicki into the wine cellar and closed the door right in Heather's face!" Jim nearly shouts.
"Which one is Vicki? Is she the one that looks like a freeze-dried elephant?"
"Yes, shhh," Sarah says, swatting at her husband as she leans closer to the wine closet, so she can hear.
"Come on, let's get close," Jim says, and they scurry over there, next to the door, trying not to look through the window and hunching down like that would make them invisible.
"Oh, look at this wine!" Vicky says inside. "Remember when we went to that winery? Me and you and Donn and Simon? Back when we were still married? God, we were so happy then, and we were all friends. You could have come seen my grandson and not had to worry about upsetting me. We could talk on the phone for hours without it being weird. We didn't have to run off to the wine cellar to make up. Tamra! What happened to us!"
"Are you crying?" Tamra asks.
"I would be if my tear ducts still worked, but I had Botox shot into them when I had my face installed," Vicki says, poking at her under eyes with the ring finger on each hand.
Suddenly Jim stands upright. "Quick," he says in a stage whisper. "They're coming."
They mosey back to the rest of the civilians and Jim reaches for a brownie as he overhears Terry ask if they're from Costco, and Heather swats him in the arm and tells him to shut up through gritted teeth. Then, as if someone screamed, "Cut!" the Housewives are gone, and there are just these normals standing around in an elaborate rec room while the desserts melt under the lights. Jim and Paul and Sarah stand in a little clump, wondering what just happened and trying to find the words, trying to find something to reconnect to. "So," Paul eventually says to Jim. "How's work?"
"Boring," Jim says. "Same old, same old."
Follow Brian Moylan on Twitter @BrianJMoylan
More: 'Real Housewives of Orange County' Recap: Must Be the Season of the Bitch'Real Housewives of Atlanta' Reunion Recap: Why Kenya Moore Won This Season'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' Reunion Recap: Who Won This Season?
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Lindsay Lohan, James Franco, and R.E.M. No, this isn't the answer to a really bad joke, but rather a collaboration — if you will.
Last year the broken-up progressive band asked artists to produce video shorts to go along with the songs on their last album, 2011's Collapse into Now — and Franco answered the call. Twice. In "Blue" — one of his two videos — the Academy Award host directed Lohan in an up close and personal look at Los Angeles at night.
For her cameo the paparazzi's favorite starlet can be seen posing for a photo shoot with famed photographer Terry Richardson. The remainder of the five-and-a-half minutes flickers with quick images of other iconic L.A. landmarks and scenes. Unfortunately the scenes of Lohan seem to be the most memorable as we're not used to seeing the young star actually working.
Take a look below at the never-before-seen video the alt-rock band released on their website yesterday.
[Photo Credit: Apega/WENN]
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Very funny writer/professional neurotic Larry David has finally announced who will be joining him in his new it's-not-TV-it's-HBO movie! And according to Deadline, the cast list is looking pretty awesome. The film, titled Clear History, will feature a veritable smorgasbord of big-named celeb-os. This includes Jon Hamm, Michael Keaton, Bill Hader, Kate Hudson, Phillip Baker Hall, Danny McBride, Eva Mendes, Amy Ryan and JB Smoove.
David will also star in the film, who's huge cast is only upstage by how hugely-complicated (in an undoubtedly hilarious way) everyone's relationships seem to be! Don't believe me? Let's break it down for you.
Nathan Flomm (David) is a former marketing executive at a start-up electric car company who gets into an argument with his boss Will Haney (Hamm) before being publicly humiliated when he walked away from his 10% of the company that's now worth billions. Ten years later, his marriage is kaput and his reputation is ruined, so Nathan does what any normal person would do: change his identity. He moves to a small island off the coast of Massachusetts and calls himself Rolly DaVore, hoping to live a far simpler life. But then--of course--his former boss shows up to renovate his summer mansion (insult, meet injury!) so Rolly Nathan (oh right, same guy) decides to seek revenge and drive his old boss off the island. Seems simple enough so far, right? OK, now here's everyone else's part of the pie:
Hader will play Rags, the friend/henchman (what are friends if not henchmen, really) of a local quarry owner (Joe Stumpo, played by Keaton) who agrees to help Rolly. Hall will play McKenzie, a local construction foreman who is duped into hiring Rolly and then regrets it. Hudson will play Rhonda, wife of Haney, who strikes up a "special friendship" (Deadline's words, not ours) with Rolley/Nathan (we're not really sure which iteration of the man she knows). McBride will play Frank, Rolly's best friend. Mendes will play Jennifer, a local resident who takes things a bit too literally and causes more issues for Rolly. HIJINKS! Ryan will play Wendy, Rolly's (or maybe Nathan's?) ex-girlfriend with a secret. JB Smoove will play Jaspar, the ex-boyfriend of a local girl who blames Rolly for the demise of his relationship because of course Rolly ruined everything. This is Larry David we're talking about here, folks. The film is slated to begin filming this fall in Massachusetts.
Are you excited for David's newest project? Sound off in the comments!
[Photo Credit: DailyCeleb]
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There is something particularly unnerving about demon possession. It's the idea of something you can't see or control creeping into your body and taking up residence eventually obliterating all you once were and turning you into nothing more than a sack of meat to be manipulated. Then there's also the shrouded ritual around exorcisms: the Latin chants the flesh-sizzling crucifixes and the burning Holy Water. As it turns out exorcism isn't just the domain of Catholics.
The myths and legends of the Jews aren't nearly as well known but their creepy dybbuk goes toe-to-toe with anything other world religions come up with. There are various interpretations of what a dybbuk is or where it comes from — is it a ghost a demon a soul of a sinner? — but in any case it's looking for a body to hang out in for a while. Especially according to the solemn Hasidic Jews in The Possession an innocent young person and even better a young girl.
The central idea in The Possession is that a fancy-looking wooden box bought at a garage sale was specifically created to house a dybbuk that was tormenting its previous owner. Unfortunately it caught the eye of young Emily (Natasha Calis) a sensitive artistic girl who persuades her freshly divorced dad Clyde (Jeffrey Dean Morgan of Watchmen and Grey's Anatomy) to buy it for her. Never mind the odd carvings on it — that would be Hebrew — or how it's created without seams so it would be difficult to open or why it's an object of fascination for a young girl; Clyde is trying really hard to please his disaffected daughters and do the typical freshly divorced parent dance of trying to please them no matter the cost.
Soon enough the creepy voices calling to Emily from the box convince her to open it up; inside are even creepier personal objects that are just harbingers of what's to come for her her older sister Hannah (Madison Davenport) her mom Stephanie (Kyra Sedgwick) and even Stephanie's annoying new boyfriend Brett (Grant Show). Clyde and Stephanie squabble over things like pizza for dinner and try to convince each other and themselves that Emily's increasingly odd behavior is that of a troubled adolescent. It's not of course and eventually Clyde enlists the help of the son of a Hasidic rabbi a young man named Tzadok played by the former Hasidic reggae musician Matisyahu to help them perform an exorcism on Emily.
The Possession is not going to join the ranks of The Exorcist in the horror pantheon but it does do a remarkable job of making its characters intelligent and even occasionally droll and it offers up plenty of chills despite a PG-13 rating. Perhaps it's because of that rating that The Possession is so effective; the filmmakers are forced to make the benign scary. Giant moths and flying Torahs take the place of little Reagan violently masturbating with a crucifix in The Exorcist. Gagging and binging on food is also an indicator of Emily's possession — an interesting twist given the anxieties of becoming a woman a girl Emily's age would face. There is something inside her controlling her and she knows it and she is fighting it. The most impressive part of Calis's performance is how she communicates Emily's torment with a few simple tears rolling down her face as the dybbuk's control grows. The camerawork adds to the anxiety; one particularly scary scene uses ordinary glass kitchenware to great effect.
The Possession is a short 92 minutes and it does dawdle in places. It seems as though some of the scenes were juggled around to make the PG-13 cut; the moth infestation scene would have made more sense later in the movie. Some of the problems are solved too quickly or simply and yet it also takes a while for Clyde's character to get with it. Stephanie is a fairly bland character; she makes jewelry and yells at Clyde for not being present in their marriage a lot and then there's a thing with a restraining order that's pretty silly. Emily is occasionally dressed up like your typical horror movie spooky girl with shadowed eyes an over-powdered face and dark clothes; it's much more disturbing when she just looks like an ordinary though ill young girl. The scenes in the heavily Hasidic neighborhood in Brooklyn look oddly fake and while it's hard to think of who else could have played Tzadok an observant Hasidic Jew who is also an outsider willing to take risks the others will not Matisyahu is not a very good actor. Still the filmmakers should be commended for authenticity insofar as Matisyahu has studied and lived as a Hasidic Jew.
It would be cool if Lionsgate and Ghost House Pictures were to release the R-rated version of the movie on DVD. What the filmmakers have done within the confines of a PG-13 rating is creepy enough to make me curious to see the more adult version. The Possession is no horror superstar and its name is all too forgettable in a summer full of long-gestating horror movies quickly pushed out the door. It's entertaining enough and could even find a broader audience on DVD. Jeffrey Dean Morgan can read the Old Testament to me any time.

There's an allure to imperfection. With his latest drama Lawless director John Hillcoat taps directly into the side of human nature that draws us to it. Hillcoat finds it in Prohibition history a time when the regulations of alcohol consumption were subverted by most of the population; He finds it in the rural landscapes of Virginia: dingy raw and mesmerizing. And most importantly he finds it in his main character Jack Bondurant (Shia LaBeouf) the scrappy third brother of a moonshining family who is desperate to prove his worth. Jack forcefully injects himself into the family business only to discover there's an underbelly to the underbelly. Lawless is a beautiful film that's violent as hell striking in a way only unfiltered Americana could be.
Acting as the driver for his two outlaw brothers Forrest (Tom Hardy) and Howard (Jason Clarke) isn't enough for Jack. He's enticed by the power of the gangster figure and entranced by what moonshine money can buy. So like any fledgling entrepreneur Jack takes matters into his own hands. Recruiting crippled family friend/distillery mastermind Cricket (Dane DeHaan) the young whippersnapper sets out to brew his own batch sell it to top dog Floyd Banner and make the family rich. The plan works — but it puts the Bondurant boys in over their heads with a new threat: the corrupt law enforcers of Chicago.
Unlike many stories of crime life Lawless isn't about escalation. The movie drifts back and forth leisurely popping in moments like the beats of a great TV episode. One second the Bondurants could be talking shop with their female shopkeep Maggie Beauford (Jessica Chastain). The next Forrest is beating the bloody pulp out of a cop blackmailing their operation. The plot isn't thick; Hillcoat and screenwriter Nick Cave preferring to bask in the landscapes the quiet moments the haunting terror that comes with a life on the other side of the tracks. A feature film doesn't offer enough time for Lawless to build — it recalls cinema-level TV currently playing on outlets like HBO and AMC that have truly spoiled us — but what the duo accomplish is engrossing.
Accompanying the glowing visuals and Cave's knockout workout on the music side (a toe-tapping mix of spirituals bluegrass and the writer/musician's spine-tingling violin) are muted performances from some of Hollywood's rising stars. Despite LaBeouf's off-screen antics he lights up Lawless and nails the in-deep whippersnapper. His playful relationship with a local religious girl (Mia Wasikowska) solidifies him as a leading man but like everything in the movie you want more. Tom Hardy is one of the few performers who can "uurrr" and "mmmnerm" his way through a scene and come out on top. His greatest sparring partner isn't a hulking thug but Chastain who brings out the heart of the impenetrable beast. The real gem of Lawless is Guy Pearce as the Bondurant trio's biggest threat. Shaved eyebrows pristine city clothes and a temper like a rabid wolverine Pearce's Charlie Rakes is the most frightening villain of 2012. He viciously chews up every moment he's on screen. That's even before he starts drawing blood.
Lawless is the perfect movie for the late August haze — not quite the Oscary prestige picture or the summertime shoot-'em-up. It's drama that has its moonshine and swigs it too. Just don't drink too much.
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Dolph Lundgren has been making action films for years, but the new addition to the cast, The Hunger Games star Liam Hemsworth, left him impressed on the Expendables 2 set.
Joined by a war hero named Billy the Kid (Hemsworth), the original team takes on a simple job from Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) that unexpectedly turns violent and leaves one of their own dead. Out to get justice for their fallen comrade and seek revenge on the opposition, Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) and Lee Christmas (Jason Statham) lead the group on a mission that proves to be even more difficult than ever before.
But with the help of Maggie (Yu Nan), the first female heroine in the Expendables franchise, the men — including intense fighter Gunner Jensen (Lundgren), intellect Toll Road (Randy Couture) and street-smart weapons specialist Hale Caesar (Terry Crews) — find new ways to fight their adversary (Jean-Claude Van Damme). The movie would not be complete without the return of Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose role as Trent Mauser is far more substantial than in the first film.
Hollywood.com recently sat down with Dolph Lundgren to discuss Hemsworth’s initiation into the group, working with Stallone, and wearing suits for Expendables 3.
Check out The Expendables 2 in theaters Friday, August 17 and watch our exclusive interview with the actor below.
[Photo Credit: Daily Celeb]
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Move Over, Arnold and Sly: Here's Our Female 'Expendables' Dream Cast

Jean-Claude Van Damme may be a hall-of-fame action star, but he was one of the new guys on set of The Expendables 2, where he took on the role of the evil Jean Vilain opposite the squad from the original film.
Joined by a war hero named Billy the Kid (Liam Hemsworth), the original team takes on a simple job from Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) that unexpectedly turns violent and leaves one of their own dead. Out to get justice for their fallen comrade and seek revenge on the opposition, Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) and Lee Christmas (Jason Statham) lead the group on a mission that proves to be more difficult than ever before.
But, with the help of Maggie (Yu Nan), the first female heroine in the Expendables franchise, the men including intense fighter Gunner Jensen (Dolph Lundgren), intellect Toll Road (Randy Couture) and street-smart weapons specialist Hale Caesar (Terry Crews) find new ways to fight their adversary (Van Damme). The movie would not be complete without the return of Arnold Schwarzenegger whose role as Trent Mauser is far more substantial than in the original.
Hollywood.com recently sat down with Van Damme to talk about joining the cast of The Expendables 2, reteaming with Stallone, and how he has stayed in shape throughout his career.
Check out The Expendables 2 in theaters Friday, August 17 and watch our exclusive interview with the actor below.
[Photo Credit: David Edwards/Daily Celeb]
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